


Wishes Amid War

by CatherynnStars



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: "flirty angst buckets", All Time Favorites, Angst with a Happy Ending, Denial of Feelings, Emotional Hurt but like quickly in part two, F/M, Falling In Love, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Goddess Tower (Fire Emblem), Light Angst, Love, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Romance, Short & Sweet, Two Shot, dorovain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:48:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28723857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatherynnStars/pseuds/CatherynnStars
Summary: "On the last night of the Ethereal Moon, on the same night as the ball... If a man and a woman go to the Goddess Tower and make a wish, it's sure to come true!"After the grand ball, Dorothea decides to wander around the monastery grounds alone. With the old myth on her mind, she decides to sit outside the Goddess Tower in hopes of running into someone else so they could make a wish together. However, her peaceful thoughts are interrupted by none other than Sylvain Gautier, who was also drawn to the tower out of sheer curiosity. Banter ensues, a wish is made.However, war breaks out soon after. Five years pass, and the pair haven't spoken since the Battle of Garreg Mach. But, because of their house promise to return in five years, they meet once again. Amid the despair is hope. Amongst the destruction, the promise to rise once more and right what wrongs have been done. Wishes yet to be fulfilled amid wartime.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault & Sylvain Jose Gautier, Dorothea Arnault/Sylvain Jose Gautier
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	1. A Wish

“Ahh, what a delight to see you here, Dorothea.” 

The brunette opera singer, Dorothea, turned her face from the stars twinkling above to the red-haired young man striding towards her with a grin on his face. His brown eyes had a playful glint in them, and he stood before her, hands on his hips in his usual casual stance. Her heart fluttered when their eyes met, but she tried to push this feeling down and address him with the same confidence she always carried herself with. In no way did she ever want to give Sylvain Jose Gautier the satisfaction of knowing that his charm was starting to work on  _ her _ . 

“Now why are you out here so late, Sylvain? Did you arrange to meet a girl who decided she would be better off without the heartbreak?” She questioned with a teasing smile. 

“Now, why do you always assume I just go around breaking hearts for fun?” 

She giggled. “Simply a guess based on observation.”

“Now who’s breaking whose heart. Your words hurt me.” He took a seat along the stone wall next to her, feigning a hurt expression for a few seconds before his grin was back. He held her gaze, smiling wider, before looking over his shoulder at the Goddess Tower behind them. 

“To answer your initial question though, I didn’t have anything planned for after the ball. However, my curiosity led me here. You know the myth, I’m sure,” he said, gesturing towards the great stone structure. 

She nodded and replied, “I’ll admit, I was also looking for someone out here, hoping to get my wish tonight. Perhaps one for a loving partner, with lots of money. Or a partner from a well-respected noble family, who promises to care for me until the day I die, and loves to listen to me sing and talk.” Dorothea sighed, looking up towards the stars once more. There was some truth to what she was saying, but she was a bit skeptical of the whole legend of the Goddess granting a wish. Just how many prayers would be spoken tonight, how many would the Goddess listen to? Would she fulfil the wishes of them all? 

“And that’s when I appeared, it seems your wish has already come true,” he boasted, interrupting her thoughts. 

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself. The one dinner we’ve had together hardly counts as a proposal, much less the promise of a long and happy life together,” Dorothea responded, crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow as she turned back to him. 

“Oh, you don’t believe I’ve committed?”

“Do you believe I’m a fool?” 

“Of course not. Beautiful songstress, yes. A fiery spirit unafraid to speak her mind to those around her, yes. A fool though? Never.” Now it was the redhead who sat observing the depths of the night sky.

“Why are you showering me with compliments, Sylvain? Has the wonder of the night simply overwhelmed you?” 

“Maybe it has,” he met her gaze once more, “maybe I’m the fool for seeking someone out after the ball, because any woman that I would find would simply see me for my Crest. They wouldn’t care about what I wish for, what I truly want, just what they could get out of me. ” 

“But do you not play with their hearts as well?”

“I told you, I fully commit to every woman I date. I have to introduce myself to a fair amount of them though, in order to find the one that’s truly looking for me, not my Crest. I may be a little guilty of reckless flirting here and there, but I might as well have some fun before I get into some arranged marriage with a woman I may not even care for.” His smile faltered a bit, even though his tone remained light, and he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. Sylvain rested his chin on his fists, staring forward once he was done speaking. The young woman watched his change in demeanor, puzzled. She uncrossed her arms slowly, resting them at her sides. For a moment, he seemed vulnerable, insecure. Rather than prod, as she would normally be tempted to do, she simply nodded. 

“I see.”

“You know, Dorothea, you were my preferred dance partner tonight. I don’t know if you realized, but I almost exclusively asked you to dance.” His grin returned, and he leaned back placing his hands on the stone, as though his solemn moment never happened. There was a mischievous gleam in his eyes, and the feeling of unease she had disappeared. Dorothea laughed, and winked at Sylvain before responding.

“Well, the musical training does help out with making me the ideal partner.” 

“Don’t I know it.” 

“Perhaps you can be the ideal partner too, if you weren’t always flirting with other women. I’ve very much enjoyed your offers to carry my books for me lately.” 

“And you’re the only one whose books I’ve been carrying. See? I told you, I fully commit myself,” he assured her. 

She tapped her chin. “Hmm, yes, I’m sure you think only of me when you’re having meals with those other girls too.”

“Ahh, but the girls in the dining hall all asked me for help with work. They might have also wanted to look at a handsome face as well, but I’ll have you know that I haven’t gone into town or been alone in any other way with anyone else. I was actually going to ask you to dinner another time...if you can move past my reputation.” 

Dorothea raised her eyebrows in surprise at his dinner invitation. He ran a hand through his hair, and once more she felt the butterflies from earlier. She forced a laugh, hoping that she had plenty of practice using it on terrible dates that he didn’t see through it now. 

“Frankly, I’ll admit I may have a long list of names as well when it comes to those I’ve been out on dates with. Luckily for you, none of them have managed to leave enough of an impression on me to be granted a second date.” 

“I take it I have?” 

“Tell me, Sylvain,” she leaned closer to him, batting her eyelashes and placing her hand on his, “what compels you to continue trying to win me over?” She hated how her heart beat faster when their hands touched. This was meant to fluster  _ him _ , not her, to one-up the monastery’s casanova by being even more coquettish than he’d seen before. She wanted to catch him off-guard, but the noble didn’t back down; he instead seemed to play right into it. 

“I don’t know, maybe I like to think that I can play, and win, whatever games it is you’re looking to play. On the other hand, maybe I want to know the real Dorothea, the one hiding behind your teasing jabs at me.” Unshaken by her sudden reciprocation of his flirtation, he put a finger under her chin and moved closer. 

The smile on her face faltered for a moment, and he swore that even in the dim moonlight he could see her cheeks redden. She looked away, moving her face away from his touch, emerald eyes flitting to the side and back to his. Her hands moved to rest in her lap, breaking any contact with him. 

“Interesting answer. Not an unacceptable one though,” she said, attempting to maintain composure. 

“I understand being guarded, Dorothea. Truly, I do. However, the higher you try to build those walls, the harder I work to knock them down.”

“Walls are put up to keep those inside safe. To keep those who would cause harm out.”

“I don’t intend on hurting you or your heart.”

“I know you won’t, because you won’t get close enough to harm me or my heart, Sylvain,” she frowned and continued defiantly, “I’ve had numerous dates, proposals, gifts, all from men and women alike who think they are the ones who can finally win my heart. Surely if they, with their esteemed and varied backgrounds, could not make me fall in love with them, I wouldn’t be so confident you would. I’ve simply agreed to allow you to pay for my dinner once more.”

“You said it yourself though, nobody gets a second chance with the former opera star. I’m confident enough that I’ll even manage a third after that.” 

Dorothea scoffed at his cocky remarks, knowing too well that she needed to do better to keep her feelings in check. He was one of the last people at the monastery that she needed to grow attached to. It had been easy to reject others who showed interest in her, and so she cursed herself for foolishly allowing herself to be more vulnerable around a young man who would without a doubt come to hurt her. How had he done it? She had been so careful, so guarded. Why him? He was not safe, he was not what she wanted in a partner, so why did she agree to go on yet another date with him? 

“I do look forward to it though, Dorothea. I’ll allow you to make sure that you have no other outstanding plans first, so I’ll check with you tomorrow evening to see what day works best. For now though, we should probably head back. I’m out a lot later than I planned, and I’m sure you’re feeling tired after dancing all night.” Sylvain stood up, stretching and attempting to stifle a yawn. 

“That’s fine,” she began, “first though, I do still have to say my prayer, and for it to come true...I do need someone else with me.” She stood as well, hands clasped together in front of her. He smirked and put his hands on his hips. 

“Very true. Well then, what is it that you wish for?” 

“I want true love,” she said without thinking, “noble or not. I want to be seen and adored for who I am, not for what I can do or where I come from. That’s all I’ve ever wanted since I was a child.” 

“You know, I had thought about what I could wish for on my way here. My wish would be something similar,” he admitted. 

“Really? I hope you’re not saying that just for my sake.” She crossed her arms defensively, examining his face for any sign of insincerity.

“I mean it. Though, I think the Goddess may already have brought that love into my life.” 

Dorothea relaxed and let out a genuine laugh, shaking her head at the heir to House Gautier. “And there it is. I guess we shall see what the Goddess has in store for us then, shall we?” She started to walk past Sylvain, away from the tower. 

“Indeed we shall, Dorothea. Just remember this conversation at our wedding. It’ll be I who had faith in us from the start,” he called out to her with a chuckle. He had caught up to her in a few strides, and the pair made their way back to the dormitories, the stars shining just a little bit brighter to both of their eyes. 


	2. The Will of the Goddess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five years later, the Golden Deer and their recruits have reunited.

“Dorothea, what a beautiful surprise it is to see you on my walk this afternoon.” 

The young woman, Dorothea, was seated at one of the wooden tables in the garden. She looked up to see a man with red hair messily swept back, standing in front of her with a crooked smile on his face. He stood with his hands on his hips, an air of cool confidence about him. However, she saw in his eyes that the war had shaken him more than he would ever let on. 

“And your presence surprises me as well, Sylvain of House Gautier. Is this a trick of the sunlight, or are you really standing before me?” She attempted a smile that came out to be more of a grimace. The ache in her chest grew the longer she looked at the man in front of her. He was someone who existed only as a memory in her mind up until a few days prior when she returned to the monastery for the promised reunion between her and her former classmates. When he had first turned a corner and appeared in front of her, the professor, and Claude, she believed she was looking at a ghost. A more grown up ghost version of the boy she had once known, the boy she had  _ almost _ opened up to and fallen for. All the denial in the world however couldn’t keep the flood of emotions from overwhelming her when she saw him again. The feelings from five years ago had hit her with such force that she could do no more than nod at him when he greeted her. 

“You truly are looking at the handsome man before you, no tricks.” He held his hands out, as if presenting himself to the seated woman. 

“Not yet, at least, I’m sure,” she said with a hum. 

“I’m glad to see that the war hasn’t taken your looks, or your humor.” 

“No, but it has taken so much more than that.” 

“Right,” his smile faded a little, “well, it certainly hasn’t been an easy five years.” He raised a hand to touch the back of his neck, a habit Dorothea recognized from his youth that was usually a sign he was getting uncomfortable or that something was wrong. She wanted to comfort him in some way, but her chest tightened each time she thought about anything other than keeping the physical and emotional distance between the two. 

“Would you like to join me on a walk?” he asked, interrupting her inner struggle, “I’d like to hear about how your life has been. Dare I say I’ve missed your special brand of sarcasm and teasing.”

“I believe I can make some time for you.” 

He held out his hand to help her up from her seat, but she ignored it and kept her green eyes cast down. He placed it on the back of his neck once more, and let her lead the way from the garden tables down to the familiar path towards the cemetery. In an attempt to cut through the obvious tension, he spoke up once more when he was walking in stride with her. 

“You know, I wasn’t sure if I would see anyone here when I returned, but I’m pleased to see that our classmates remembered their promise to come back in five years. And to see you again…” he trailed off. 

“I wasn’t certain I’d return, to be honest,” she replied, “but my work brought me back this way. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to see who else was here. I’m glad I did.” She brought herself to look into his brown eyes, but her smile didn’t quite match the one he had seen so many times when they would joke together in the past. 

“What work were you doing, Dorothea? Lifting spirits with your singing?” 

“You could say that was part of it, yes. I worked with orphans, trying to care for those without families because of what the Empire has done.” 

He bowed his head at her, and shot her a smile. “What a noble deed. You truly have a kind heart.” 

“It wasn’t anything too special. I was happy to help the children how I could.” She felt hollow while recounting her time working at a couple of different orphanages. It brought back memories of her childhood before the opera company, before the Officers Academy. She knew that this was a way that she could give back and care for those children who were so much like her, but the war had broken her more than she had been before. Losing friends, people who had grown to be like  _ family _ to her, it was like she had suddenly become a lost child once more. 

“Why did you return?” Dorothea asked gently, raising an eyebrow. 

“Well,” Sylvain’s face darkened, “after the fall of the Kingdom, things really took a turn for the worse. A lot of us fought, but there were those who quickly took up the cause of the Empire and fractured the Kingdom easily. Then, once I heard of what happened to Dimitri...the royal family...well, here I am. I hoped to see my former classmates again, knowing that the Alliance was in better shape than we were. Claude always had this idea of unifying everyone, regardless of who we were or where we came from. It’s a lofty dream I think, but one I feel comfortable fighting for. Even though I was a noble with a crest from the Kingdom, nobody in that house ever treated me as though I didn’t belong.” 

“When I heard about what happened to the royal family, I wondered if you had survived the Empire. The last I had ever heard was that you had left the monastery to fight in Faerghus.” 

“I had. It was not pretty...the battles and missions we had here as students paled in comparison to some of what I saw. Of course, there were moments I’d rather not relive from our monastery days, like what happened that day with Tomas. I feel...like maybe I should have stayed. Not come back, fight until my very bitter end.” 

“Maybe we all should have stayed where we were, but we’re here now. I’m so sorry that you had to see your friends and family members fall in battle, and I’m so sorry that your home has been torn apart.”

Sylvain had fallen silent at this, simply looking forward and sighing. She held her hands together tightly, trying to fight every urge she had to throw her arms around the nobleman in some attempt to comfort one another. She wanted to believe that things would be better somehow now that they were all together once again. She had made so many friends while she was at the academy, and the man at her side had somehow started to become more than that. He was a partner in battle, stopping anyone from getting too close to her while she dealt damage to those attempting to cast from afar. When they had gotten out of particularly hard exams, he had a quip at the ready to lighten the mood. She had started to seek out his company and support more each day, but then it was over as suddenly as it started thanks to the Empire declaring war. She wondered what would have happened to them if that hadn’t occurred- would they still have gone back to being strangers as they were now after graduating, or would their relationship have evolved even further? 

The pair had walked the length of the brick path from the garden down towards the graveyard. Rubble was strewn about the walkway, and they sidestepped larger pieces of debris, a reminder of the battle fought and lost all that time ago. He had made a couple of comments while they walked, succeeding in his attempt to make her laugh and be a bit less cold to him. When they had reached the end of the path, Sylvain had looked over the right side of the wall, to the graveyard, and caught a glimpse of the professor’s light green hair out of the corner of his eye. Dorothea had put both of her hands down on the rough wall, and leaned forward to look wistfully up at the birds in the sky. The redhead moved to stand next to her, tempted to place his hand on hers and feel her touch for the first time in so many years. But, he held back, unsure of how she would respond. 

“You know, I spent quite some time doing just as you are right now. Lost in thought, wishing I could push the horrors of the war behind me. I thought of you, too.”

“Oh, is that so?” she questioned. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, and for the first time he saw the familiar playful look in her eyes. He sounded more like his old self, and it was a welcome change from the heavier chatter from earlier. He was too charismatic for her to stay guarded so long, and if it meant they could just for a few moments forget the horrible reasons they were back in the first place, she would relent and play along. It took too much effort to be so standoffish anyway, she thought.

“I thought you would be exhausted by the time we met again, with how often you would run through my thoughts.” 

“Hmm, what a strange thing to say. You expect me to believe that in five years I was constantly on your mind?” She laughed and looked up to the sky again. 

“Of course. I thought of seeing your smile again, or hearing you sing, and it motivated me to keep fighting. No other woman would have given me that sort of strength. It was almost like you were there with me.” 

“Well, we were an excellent pair on the battlefield.” 

“Exactly. Say...five years ago, do you remember the wish that we made? You might say it was the promise we made to our classmates that brought us back, and perhaps that’s some of it, but I believe that the wish is why you and I are here today. What else could bring the two of us together by chance, and to have me run into you yet again today on a walk?” 

“Perhaps the ruins of the monastery leave few safe places for a breath of fresh air. There is also just a few of us who have returned, so logically the chance we run into each other isn’t that low really.” She stated, winking at the man. 

“Wow, way to really take the wonder out of it, Dorothea.” 

“I’m sorry, Sylvain. I can’t let you think that you’ve completely charmed me.” 

“I don’t think I’ve completely charmed you, Dorothea, I know I have. I can tell, since your smile is back to normal again.” 

She looked surprised when she heard his observation. “That doesn’t mean you’ve  _ completely charmed _ me, but it might mean that I’m feeling a little more at ease than I was earlier.” 

“I’m glad I could put you at ease. I was starting to get a little worried that you’d never look genuinely happy again. I don’t think I’ve seen you that way in a long time.” 

“Well, we can’t pretend that the last few years haven’t changed us.” 

“Of course it has. War changes everything for everyone, but there are some things that I’d hoped would remain the same. Honestly, seeing you again has made me realize that I want somebody by my side who understands who I am and how I feel.” 

“Sylvain-”

“Dorothea,” his flirty tone and grin were gone, and he turned to face her completely, “if there is one thing in my life that I wish for you to know that I’m serious about, it is what I’m saying now. I foolishly thought when the war broke out that perhaps you would know to send letters to me, that I would be missed and admired from afar, that someday we would reunite and we could go back to laughing and teasing as we did when we were young and naive. I realize now how foolish I was in thinking that. You were never the type of woman to sit around and dote on someone else, but it was your ferocity and sense of self-worth that drew me to you. You saw past what my family and power could offer you, and made me work to prove that I was worth  _ your _ time. I’m sorry that I...haven’t done enough.” 

“Sylvain…” she sighed, “I thought when we left Garreg Mach and hadn’t said goodbye...I thought that said enough. I didn’t think any letters to a nobleman like you would make it through all the disarray in the Kingdom, nor did I think they would matter at a time like this. After a while, I just accepted that our lives simply went on the way they were meant to. I wouldn’t say I never cared, but I thought you were destined for better, so I tried to let go of any and everything. I would never admit to being hurt by the situation, but I won’t tell you that I was okay either.”

“If I could at least go back to our final hour here, I would have said goodbye.” 

“I don’t know if I would have wanted you to,” she said quietly, looking off to the side once more. 

“We said that war changes people. Maybe it’s made me realize that I don’t want to chase women around forever, only to have to settle for one that will benefit my family politically in the end. Maybe being back here is the will of the Goddess, and maybe as soon as I saw that you had survived and only grown more beautiful in all this time I realized just how strongly I had cared about you.”

“So what exactly is it that you’re trying to tell me?” 

He took her hands in his and held them firmly in his. “I will fight by your side, from now until the end of time. I refuse to lose you again, to anything or anyone, so long as you want me around.” 

“That’s a bold promise you’re making, Sylvain.” 

“I swear my life on it. I have missed you more than I could have imagined, and I thought I was granted a second chance when I saw you again.” The two stared into each other’s eyes, silent for a few moments. The uncharacteristically serious expression on the noble’s face told Dorothea that he truly meant all that he said.

“You know, I don’t really give second chances.” 

“I think I recall you telling me that. But actually, I believe this is my third chance.” He winked at her. 

She tried to fight back a smile, but gave in and chuckled. “I believe you’re right. Don’t ruin it.” 

“I’m sure I’ll easily win you over again. It didn’t take me long last time.” He brought a hand up to her face, held her gaze for a few moments, and slowly leaned in closer. Her cheeks quickly grew warm where his fingertips were, but she raised a finger to his lips to stop him. 

“These words don’t make everything as it was. Actions speak louder, as you know.” 

Sylvain pulled back and instead placed a kiss on her forehead, “I will, once again, earn your trust. I can be patient. After all, if what you want is to be loved for who you truly are, I find that to be the easiest thing anyone could ever ask of me.”

His words sent a wave of emotions through her. Dorothea knew that she would have to still be cautious with her heart, but in that moment she wanted to allow herself to feel whatever it was she felt for him. Rather than speak, she put her arms around him and finally embraced him like she had wanted to for so long. If this was the will of the Goddess, then so be it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much if you read this little twoshot of mine for one of my favorite pairings in FE3H! By the end of writing this, I had finally finished my first runthrough and was so happy when I managed to get these two to end up together. 
> 
> I loved writing for them, and may take on more in the future! Let me know what you thought- I was a little scared it was too mushy or emotional whiplash-y but I just really wanted them to have a sweet moment in the end ;-; "Flirty angst buckets" indeed!

**Author's Note:**

> BIG shoutout to my best friends Tammy and Danielle for beta reading this for me! It means a lot, especially as my first venture into Fire Emblem fanfics. 
> 
> Just because it'll be more relevant later, they had both swapped to the Golden Deer in this twoshot, which is what happened in my first (current!) runthrough. I originally recruited Dorothea because I was like "I NEED HER", and Sylvain I thought was so funny, I went to see what stats I needed to recruit him and he just asked to join (I realized later he just wanted to if you're F!Byleth). I then had to choose between romancing one of the two or Claude, only to fall in LOVE with this pairing!!! I recruited them for me only to give them to each other. But hey, what can I say. I love 'em. I hope you do too!


End file.
